A Photo a Day - Day 18

Before you go any further, I suggest you read this post.

Seriously, do it.

Did you? If so, you may proceed.

If not, you may proceed as well. Just know you won't have as rich of an experience.

It happened again, sort of. The sound of hard plastic on hardwood floor sent a panic throughout the house. We all knew it could've been only one thing. After the debacle from years earlier, the PTFCT (Post Traumatic Fallen Christmas Tree Disorder) returned. It's pronounced put-fuct-ed.

An ornament fell off of the Christmas tree.

I shot down the stairs, three steps at a time, praying it wasn't one of the important ones. The kids followed closely behind. They knew too. If it was one of the true keepsakes, I'd be in the doghouse. Forever.

It was a fallen ornament.

But it didn't break.

This time (and only those of you who read the story above will understand what comes next), the tree hadn't toppled. I'd secured it well when it went up weeks earlier. There was now way that puppy was falling. Not on my watch. Ever again.

Instead, the tree had oddly transformed. It looked like it simply gave up. I'm done here. The branches sagged and many of the ornaments fell face down, ready to drop to the ground at a moment's notice.

We took action immediately. All the ornaments were pulled from the tree and spared. I unraveled the lights from the branches as needles dropped with a fury to the floor. By the time we were done clearing the tree, this is what was left behind.

Almost every needle spilled to the ground. Bright green needles. Half of the branches were barren. And it all happened in what felt like an instant. As if the tree were on a timer. Ding. Self-destruction will begin in 5, 4, 3.

It made no sense, The tree had been watered sufficiently from the beginning and had no showed no signs of decline before yesterday. Maybe we pushed it too far. Or maybe it was simply a weirdo tree.

The important things is we caught it in time.

Next year we go fake tree and spare ourselves the anxiety.